This content requires JavaScript to be enabled, and the site or browser may be disabling it. Try reactivating it to view this content.

Lifestyle

DIY : Halloween Cake Pops

josie / 30th October 2013

DIY : Halloween Cake Pops

I’ve always thought cake pops look really fab –
they are bitesize treats which are just a little bit different to your standard
cupcake (although I do love a cupcake!) but I always thought I would have to
buy a load of new baking trays if I wanted to make some myself.

I was super excited therefore when I discovered The Baking Tree – and in
particular their cake pop kits. I love baking but find measuring everything out
so fiddly so if everything is presented to me in a box then I’m sold.

So to make these fab Halloween Cake Pops, all you
need is one of these sets from The Baking Tree, plus some milk, two medium
eggs, and about 74g plus 40g of butter.

Start by preheating the oven to 180C fan,
or 160C for electric. Lightly grease a round sandwich tin, or a loaf tin, and
line the base with greaseproof paper.

Cut open the bag of the cake mixture, and empty it into your largest bowl along
with 75g of softened butter and two medium eggs. Whisk the mixture up until it
is light and fluffly and then use a spatula to pile it into the cake tin. Use
the spatula to level out the surface and bake for 15-20 minutes, until it has
risen and is firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and leave aside for about 10
minutes to allow it to cool, before removing the cake from the tin and placing
on a cooling rack to cool for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream by cutting open the
bag of icing mix and emptying into a medium sized bow, along with 40g of
softened butter and two teaspoons of milk. Mix well together with a wooden
spoon and set aside at room temperature until you are ready to use it.

Once the cake mixture is completely cool, break it
up into large pieces into your large bowl. Use your fingers to crumble it up,
so that it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the buttercream to the bowl of cake crumbs and
mix the two together with a wooden spoon until it is evenly mixed, and slightly
sticky feeling. Then, divide the mixture into 12 equal sized portions and place
on a plate.

Taking one portion at a time, roll between the palms of your hands into a
smooth ball. Place it back on the plate and continue to do this so that you
have 12 balls. Next, place the plate in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes so
that they become hard.

Meanwhile, empty the bag of orange chocolate melts into a
small glass bowl. Place this over a small pan of simmering water (make sure the
bowl doesn’t directly touch the water as this could burn the chocolate) and
stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat, but keep the bowl over the hot
water until ready to use.

Place the bowl of melted chocolate on a
work surface, and remove the balls from the freezer. Dip each stick into the
chocolate and then gently push into the flatter side of the hardened ball just
as far as the centre. Place it back on the plate and repeat for the rest of the
balls, and pop back in the fridge.

Taking one ball out at a time, holding the stick,
dip the cake ball into the chocolate and carefully spoon over more chocolate.
If the chocolate is a bit thick, add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Turn the stick, and coat evenly. It is best not to lift out and re-dip.

Once the cake ball is coated, allow the excess
chocolate to drip off, and then push the stick into the foam in the box and
stick a piece of green sweet into the top.

When you have no more room on your foam, wait for the chocolate to dry before
transferring the cake balls onto a plate while you coat the remaining balls. If
the chocolate starts to set, just return the bowl to the pan of water and heat
gentlry until smooth.

Melt the black chocolate buttons in the same way, until smooth and glossy, and
pour into the paper piping bag. Fold over the top of the bag and make a tiny
snip in the pointed end. Carefully pipe Halloween faces onto the cake balls and
leave for about five minutes before removing from the foam and repeating with
the remaining balls.

If you can resist temptation and don’t eat
all the Cake Pops on the same day, you can put them in some Tupperware and
refrigerate for up to a week, or you can even freeze them for up to 3 months!
I’ll be refrigerating mine until the party on Saturday – just one less thing
for me to worry about on Saturday morning!

So they may not be perfect, but not bad for
my first attempt! What treats have you been creating for Halloween this year?